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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — clever
  3. ground — the earth
  4. rest — what's left
  5. stock — goods
  6. present — a gift
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. present — there
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — to crush
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. ground — crushed
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. rest — a break
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. rest — what's left
  20. present — the time now
  21. pound — a weight
  22. ground — a position
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. stock — shares

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com